Windy and rainy here today, so much wind that the trees rattling in the back yard woke me from a sound sleep at about 4:30 this morning. I played around on the Internet a bit, and then finished my night's sleep with another four hours in the recliner -- damn that recliner is comfortable and has lulled me into many an afternoon cat nap!
Thursday I had a 9:20 a.m. appointment at "AutoNation," the giant Toyota dealership here in Fort Myers, for a 10,000 mile scheduled maintenance, the first service on the car. This consisted of an oil/filter change, chassis lubrication, tire rotation, and safety/fluid level check with top-off on fluids if necessary. This is completely paid for by Toyota. Toyota recommends synthetic oil on the Prius, and this is what it came with, so I'm sticking with the game plan. The "oil" is more expensive, but is offset by the fact that it lasts 10,000 miles instead of the usual 5,000 for "real" oil. The dealership treated me very nicely. I was greeted at a covered drive-up by a valet, and directed to a large waiting room, where they offered free coffee, bagels and cream cheese, and Wi-Fi. I had my tablet computer along, and was going to do some emails and what-not, but it was at that particular moment that the computer's operating software, Windows 8, decided to perform a 59-step update, rendering the computer useless for about the first hour. I barely got into some emails when the car was ready, and I drove off. Mission accomplished, and I will be firmly back in Wisconsin by the time of the next scheduled service. The Prius has so far performed flawlessly,
Lunch that day was at my favorite "D.J. Chinese Restaurant" on South Cleveland. They are one of the few (if not only) Asian restaurants in town to offer Dim Sum. And as impossible as this sounds, I filled so completely up on Dim Sum (only three dishes .. terryaki beef skewers, pork dumplings, and shrimp spring rolls, washed down with a diet Coke), that I was torpid for the rest of the afternoon, finding respite once again in the arms of La-Zy Boy. I did manage to get a package out in the afternoon of a watch sold on the website. I felt so guilty about the afternoon's sloth that I got my ass over to Planet Fitness for a workout.
Friday, I went to the Farmer's Market at Lakes Park, and took the new "Next" bicycle out for its first significant ride of 4.5 miles each way. I flew compared to the old "iron horse" of before, clipping nearly 10 minutes off the ride without exerting any additional effort. I think this will be a very nice bike, even with its Wal-Mart pedigree and no doubt Chinese-made components. I had a delicious breakfast in the park of an egg/sausage/cheese bagel, a pint of fresh strawberries, and a cup of premium Joe. I met up with the guys from the "Peckerheads" bicycle club, and we had a few laughs and I told them about the cruise. The group is losing one of its members, Mike, next week because he is returning to his "home base" in British Columbia, Canada. A very fine fellow.
Rode the bike back to the apartment, then off to Fleamasters flea market in the car, where I had a productive day and bought some needed supplies, including a couple of very nice shot glasses so I can properly enjoy my sipping Tequila I bought in Cozumel. I mailed off another package of a watch sold on the website, this time to Switzerland. I also stopped at the Wal-Mart Neighborhood grocery store for some needed food items, and also at the Harbor Freight tool store, where I bought a set of regular wrenches and a set of Allen wrenches to do some adjustments on the new bike. I had one of their "20% off coupons" so I got both set of tools for $17 and change, which I'm sure will be cheaper than taking the bike to the shop around the corner.
For dinner, I made a delicious pasta pomodoro with fettucini pasta cooked in my new "Fasta Pasta" maker (thanks again, Amy). The mix-ins consisted of garlic and a little onion sauteed in olive oil, chicken breast chunks, fresh tomatoes, spinach, and basil. Mix in the pasta, and then top the whole thing off with some Parmesan cheese. This is a great dish if you want something more on the "light" side, with no heavy tomato or white sauces. Very yummy, and topped off with a black cherry sorbet for dessert. Later that evening, I enjoyed a wee dram of my sipping Tequila whilst enjoying an episode of "Family Guy" on the TV.
Today, I am going to do some needed work on a couple of watches (replacing hands) and some guy is supposed to meet me to look at the old bicycle. I'm swapping out the seat, and keeping the nice gel-cushion seat and putting the old seat back on that originally came with the bike. I am also going to investigate some new possible groups on "meetup.com" with which to connect, because the "singles and couples over 40" group that I've been meeting with appears to have entered a rather dormant phase.
If I feel ambitious, I might get going on a writing project that is due for the mid-winter NAWCC watch regional show in March in Kissimmee. Tomorrow, I am signed up for a one-day watch show in Miami, sponsored by World Wide Traders (not the NAWCC). I am going strictly as a buyer and will not be setting up, nor will I stay over night. The show opens at 9 a.m., so I'll be heading out about 6 a.m. and will most likely return in the mid- to later afternoon.
I did call sister-in-law, Julie, Friday evening to find out how her mother, Mary, was doing. She was admitted to a hospital with pneumonia during Julie's stay here, and was not expected to make it. But for whatever reason, it was not her time, and now she is in a convalescent center and "recouping" to the degree possible, given her frail state, which includes dementia that has her totally confused as to what has transpired during the previous week. Julie, if you are reading this, my thoughts are with you.
All is good here. I hope everyone is well.
Bruce
No comments:
Post a Comment